Broken
by Bodominjarvi
Summary: "They came from two distant countries and even from two different decades, but their stories were similar: tried and without any happy ending on the horizon. They didn't live... They survived. It was a condition that they had both accepted for a long time." Set during and post Tekken 7
1. Chapter 1

**_Broken_**

Sometimes living on convictions alone is not enough. We must always take into account the adversities of life, the unexpected events, the losses, the failures. Happiness and peace are only mere illusions.

We must always be ready for the worst, because at worst there is no end.

You can cry, scream, get lost in despair, feel abandoned by the whole world, betrayed, neglected, forgotten... And forget to live.

You can fight with all your strength, try to start over, try to understand where you were wrong and what you can do to correct the wrong path that your life has started to follow ..

You can surrender once, twice, ten times, or finally, because the solutions to the most complicated problems are a hundred times more complex.

But we must feel broken to find the strength to start again ...

 _"Crushed in the cold hands with no meaning, beautiful things can be easily broken..."_

Norther - Cry

So, in the end I decided to write a story about this game that I love so much since I was a child. I started playing in Tekken last autumn after a long time and during the Tekken 6 campaign I was deeply impressed by the relationship between Jin Kazama and Nina Williams, my long time favorite characters. I then moved onto the next chapter of the saga, and I was so pleased to see my heroine in action, but at the same time disappointed by her marginal role, as well as the game's ending that left me hanging. I then discovered this website and since I got intrigued by that couple, I tried to look for stories about them: one that impressed me in particular was "The Devil's Bodyguard" by Wellsy 71, because it was exactly the transcript of how I I imagined them and all the background of the events that occurred in Tekken 6. Unfortunately, she had started writing the sequel, but abandoned the idea due to lack of inspiration and after years has never been resumed. So if you find some similarities between this and her story, don't be surprised: I'm not going to copy her work, but it's undeniable that she inspired me a lot and encouraged me to write something of mine after a long time. So Wellsy, if you ever read this story, well, thank you so much for writing yours! Anyway, as you can guess the main pairing will be precisely JinXNina, but there will be other characters involed, that appeared during the last act of the video game, as they will also play a key role in this story. It will be a long and complex project and I will try as much as possible to remain faithful to the original story, limiting the incongruities to a minimum. I hope you like this fanfiction and to be able to carry it out as I want. I can assure you that twists and surprises will not be missing... Hope to have caught your attention, soon the first chapter! See you!

PS: I want to point out that English is not my native language, so if you find any error, please report them in the reviews. I've basically learned English by myself by talking with foreign people, listening to music and reading a lot, so I hope this story will also help me to improve my level. So please, forgive my grammar if it won't be always correct. Thank you!


	2. Failure

Broken. That was the way she felt at that moment. So many things have happened in such a short time that her mind at some point simply stopped to process the events, and just let the things go by. She thought to have finally found a kind of balance in the messy life she had always led, but as always everything changed within few days, if not moments, leaving her lost in new realities. She should have been used by then.

It seemed like yesterday, when the raven haired man that she had tried to kill few years back came to her to offer her the toughest job she was ever asked to do: being the bodyguard of the most wanted dead or alive man on Earth. Allying with him meant gaining even more enemies than the ones who were already on her pretty crowded list! The paying was utterly insane, but she had done far less dangerous jobs that guaranteed her enough money to survive and live quite well anyways. So why accepting such a potential suicide task? Was she looking for challenges without even being aware of it? Was really her the blonde woman who signed that contract, that sealed her up to that unforseen destiny?

She sighed deeply, observing her distorted reflection in those pieces of broken glass between piles of rubble and dust clouds. How she had managed to survive such an explosion was a mystery. Probably there was really someone up there who was watching over her... Or more probably, she had been immensly lucky. The fire was almost completely extinct, probably the firemen were already there and had managed to extinguish the flames. Perhaps it was only a matter of time before anyone found her... And yet, despite the great bruises and probably some cracked ribs (nothing unbearable, she had endured much worse traumas) that would't have been an obstacle for her to run away, she couldn't find the force to get up and flee. It was as if she didn't want to. She was wanted by the police, by the men of the G Corporation, now probably also by the Mishima Zaibatsu's Tekken Force and by that tyrant of Heihachi and this should have encouraged her to move away as further as possible and get back in shape, but nothing, she couldn't stop looking her figure in those glass shards that had torn her leather catsuit and flesh. Deep bruises and numerous bloody cuts decorated her diaphanous skin, her hair was dirty with dust and all ruffled, her doll's face was an expressionless mask, like her cerulean eyes: totally empty.

In contrast to the external apathy, her mind was an erupting volcano. She had failed the mission that had been assigned to by the man who had taken from her hands what had been left to her. Although Mishima was not her last name, she had become the momentary leader of that gigantic enterprise that the Zaibatsu was. Never in life she would have imagined finding herself in such a position, yet her predecessor had been categorical in his last wills: "I trust you!" These were his words before sacrificing himself for the "greatest good" and going to self-destruct together with that demon. And so it was, she had decided to honor his last wish, taking control of the company that belonged to the most hated family in history, without knowing what to do, or what to say. She had simply reorganized the army in anticipation of an attack by the many enemies it had and attempted to stop the ongoing war. She focused mainly on one goal: to track down the previous owner of that empire that now belonged to her, even though he was considered dead. But she, in the end, had never believed it, not even for a second! She felt in her heart that he was out there, scattered somewhere, but still alive. And she would have found him again, at any cost.

Tearing her out of her thoughts was a grim crunch: she didn't even have time to raise her eyes up that some steel beams collapsed, lifting more debris and dust just a few meters from her. If she had stayed there for a longer time, she would have died buried in the rubble. She had to leave and quickly. But again, raising her eyes to the now inexistent cealing and observing the black sky filled with stars, made her once again fall into her vortex of reflections. She had failed and she never failed. Not if things depended exclusively on her, at least. In her previous life she had failed to complete the murders of those two people who had not only distorted her existence, but the whole world. Perhaps they weren't really within her reach. Then there was that occasion in which she herself had pulled back, moved by an act of mercy which she would never have thought to have, even towards her own child. But this time? She hadn't accepted Heihachi's tyranny not even for a second, not because he had deprived her of Mishima Zaibatsu's control (of which she didn't care that much), but she hadn't had no choice. That man could hold anyone in his hands. She had already accompanied him on his trip to Italy to recruit that exorcist in his ranks. She wasn't fully aware of his plans, but was nevertheless sure that she wouldn't have approved any of them. She almost regretted not having left just to find herself in a situation like that. When that old bastard had given her the order to catch his nephew, taking him away from the Violet System's custody, she could not retreat: the plan had been worked out to perfection, yet in the end the adversaries had proved to be far smarter. But would she really have been able to deliver the target to Heihachi?

Yes, because the moment she entered that room and saw the unconscious figure of the man she knew so well, lying helplessly on a bed, all her securities wavered away in an instant. Once again her sixth sense hadn't betrayed her: he was still alive, she had finally had the proof. He was not in shape, maybe seriously hurt, but still alive. He had managed to defeat Azazel and survive and it was unbelievable. However, she soon realized that his pseudo-sacrifice had turned out to be totally useless, as the angular tribal was still imprinted on his left arm, a symbol that his curse hadn't left him. She felt bad for him, he had risked his life for nothing! Of course, that evil spirit had surely been eradicated from the face of the Earth, but his soul was still hopelessly damned. She stood there motionless in front of the glass that separated her from the man who in her life had taken on a meaning and importance that no one would have ever imagined or suspected. Those crystal eyes hadn't shed tears for too many years, yet for a moment they risked to give in. However, it didn't happen, because two men bursted in from above, breaking through the roof and hurried to tie him up and lift him up into the air towards the helicopter. And what if the mission had been successful? Would she really have dared to deliver him to that ruthless being that was his grandfather? Or would she have tried to revive him and eventually convince him to escape with her? And if so, would he have been willing to still have anything to do with her?

Another crunch broke the silence, this time followed not by collapses, but by steps and male voices. Someone was coming and she would be discovered, but she still didn't move a muscle. What was her destiny now that she had no place to return, no one to report to ... Now that she knew he was still alive? What would have happened to her? And what would happen to him? Would they hurt him? Would he awaken and fight those who were holding him back? Would he give up? Would he even think of her for a moment? But once again her rational side prevailed, preventing those strange and unusual feelings from taking over. What would have happened to the world now?

"What do they hope to achieve by sheltering Jin? This could be intresting to watch.."

So, here is the first chapter. If you have played in story mode in Tekken 7 you will surely recognize the final quote: the story develops after the organized raid to capture Jin and is a transcription of Nina's thoughts after having failed the mission and having reviewed her former boss. The scene where she looks at him from behind the glass for a few seconds caught me particularly, so I had a lot of fun to imagine what was going through her mind. About the length of the chapters some will be longer than others: I have in mind a very precise scheme to follow, but every time I always think of something to add and to not "stretch" them too much I tend to break them into two parts. At the moment I've already written about 7, so you don't have to wait too long for the next one. Needless to say reviews and criticism are more than welcome, as long as thy are motivated and constructive. See you soon!


	3. Respect

"This way" shouted the man to his companions, pointing the flashlight against the wall where Nina's shadow was instantly projected.

"Is it she?" asked a croaking voice from behind.

"Of course she is! Come on! Move..." the other replied.

Nina felt the steps coming closer and closer, probably belonging to at least three men. What would happen to her now? She was exhausted, she hadn'the strength, nor even the will to fight. She just squinted and turned her face when the beam of light hit her.

"She's here! She's alive!"said the man striding closer.

He knelt next to her and placed two gloved fingers against her carodite to hear the heartbeat. She stayed still as the Tekken Force soldier clumsily tried to figure out how she was doing.

"Miss Williams, ma'am, do you hear me? Are you hurt? Are you okay?"

She snorted in front of that flood of questions, but at least the soldier didn't seem intent on hurting her.

"I'm fine, Chomei." she murmured reluctantly, acknowledging the lieutenant of the Tekken Force.

She felt definitely better immersed in silence.

"Oh, thank God, here guys, Miss Williams is conscious! Do you need a hand to get up, ma'am?"

"No, I can do it alone!" she replied dryly, but didn't move.

"Madam, are you sure to feel well, do we have to call for help?" Gaho asked excitedly, shifting the weight nervously from one leg to the other.

"What help and rescue, tsk!" snapped the blonde badly, forcing herself finally to stand up.

Unfortunately for her, she hadn't taken into account the fact that remaning still for too long her muscles could not give direct answer, and also that she was more hurt than she thought, so she stumbled badly and had it not been for the sudden Chomei's help, she would have found herself again on the ground.

"Damn it," she murmured through clenched teeth, trying to gain stability.

"Miss Williams, are you sure to..." but as Hiroya, the third soldier present, intercepted the woman's killer look, he didn't dare uttering a word.

"We have to get out of here! The others will be wondering where we are, we have to go back to the base to report!"

"Are you really that stupid, or have you just hit your head?" hissed Nina, who had finally regained her balance and now tried in vain to remove the dust from her irremediably ruined catsuit. "Do you really think that going back to the base to report to that damned old man makes sense? Maybe it does if you want to get killed so bad, but then you shouldn't have saved yourself from the explosion!"

"K...K...Killed?" babbled Gaho, taking a step back.

Nina as always managed to instill fear to anyone, even in moments of weakness. Her fame as a glacial and ruthless woman preceded her and earned her the esteem of anyone within the Zaibatsu, not to mention that she was the right arm of the previous boss. No one sane of mind would have ever dared to make a crap to her, or lack respect.

"If you think that Heihachi is a tolerant and compassionate man, willing to forgive you for this mess, well, go and report!I'm done with it, but don't complain if at best you'll end up with all the bones broken! And remember that it could easily end up worse!"

The three men swallowed in unison, aware that what was said by the woman was the sad truth. The old Mishima didn't tolerat failures, they were also warned before embarking on the mission: "I do not give second chance!". And if Nina herself refused to come back and face that beast of a man, there was no chance for them to come out unscathed.

"So what will you do, ma'am? What will Mishima Zaibatsu do without you?" Chomei asked timidly.

"Without me? If I were you, I'd run away as far as possible from here... My time is over, plus I should never ever have taken the reins of that damned business!"

"But Mr. Kazama has specifically wanted that ..."

Hearing that name was like a shower of icy water. The blonde gritted her teeth, aware that what was said by Hiroya was true, but what could she do? She may have been deadly, strong and clever, but she was a mere human in the end, and as such she could have never opposed to such beasts like the Mishimas. However, this reminder caused her a huge annoyance, which she wasn't able to contain.

"Jin... Kazama... I do not owe him anything now!" She growled. "I'm not going to go back and risk that madman killing me, for which purpose? It's not my right to rule that cage of fools, nor even mu duty to end this damn war! And if you were a minimum smart you would do the same!"

A deafening silence followed, full of tension. The three soldiers were appalled at the reaction of their superior, they would have never imagined seeing her lose her temper like that. She had pronounced the name of his former protege with such ferocity that for a moment all three had been afraid that she would jump on them and break their neck bone, as they had seen her do so many times during fights. She had never pulled back when it was time to get her hands dirty, she had always been admired by anyone for her graceful, but deadly style, for her coolness and cunning that she was never without, even in the most difficult situations. Now she didn't even seem to ber herself, so they figured they had touched a very painful key.

"Alright, ma'am, you're right as always, but we cannot leave our brother soldiers in the Tekken Force, there are corpses everywhere, the unit is decimated, they need us! We have sworn loyalty to the army and we can't take it back ... I hope you understand."Chomei murmured ruefully, bowing his head.

If Gaho could have had the chance, he would have escaped on the spot, following the killer's advice, but was held back by Hiroya, who nodded to his friend's words. The fear of returning was great, but the humiliation of deserting was too much to bear. If they should have succumbed, better to do it like real men, not rabbits. Obviously no one dared to expose the comparison to her.

"Well, if anything, you're not a bunch of pussies, as I've always thought! The choice is yours, I've warned you anyway." she sighed, resting one hand on her hip, as she always used to do.

Despite that little outburst, she was still herself, Nina Williams, the deadly bodyguard that everyone had learned to respect and fear.

"What will you do, Miss Williams, if I can ask?" asked shyly Hiroya.

Nina didn't answer immediately, even if it wasn't a particularly complicated question. Yeah, what would she do with her life from then on? Now that she had known the power, the fame, who had got used to be in charge? No, it would not have been her.

"I'll get along... I hope you can do the same." she concluded, before heading for what was once the exit.

"Miss Williams, ma'am..." Chomei called her, after a few steps.

She turned slowly and saw the three men standing at attention, as they used to be during the inspections.

"Take care..."

These words were definitely unexpected, but they didn't manage to scratch the cold face of the woman. Nevertheless she appreciated them, knowing that she had done a good job. Since she had been in command of the Tekken Force, the army's abilities had improved incredibly and this was only thanks to her.

"You too..." she whispered.

A solemn military salute followed, before turning around and resuming her way out of that ruined skyscraper. She looked up at the starry sky again, knowing that when all those stars were going down, another life would have begun for her.

Hello, people! Sorry for not updating the story for this long, but my work's schedule is pretty pretty busy. Luckilly for me a bunch of chapters are already done, so all I have to do is publish them. So, what about this one? Ath first reading it may seem a pretty boring and useless one, but its a needed passage to let the story continue. It doesn't happen nothing importat and I gotta admit I struggled to write it down, since dialougues isn't my strong suit, but it will be linked to a next episode. What I really wanted to do was underlinining the reletionship between Nina and TF'S soldiers, focusing on the respect they had for her. If during Tekken 6 she is mostly portraited as Jin's bodyguard, in Tekken 7 is pretty evident how she's able to manage an army all alone. She's such a beautiful war machine and his enlight even more her cold and smart side. With all that said I let you wait for the next chapter, which will be more dramatic and introspective. See you!


	4. So Much More

It was one of those nights in which silence was the rule: in those moments the tension in the air was so thoughtful that it was palpable, so much that even the act of breathing was considered noisy and disturbing. They had come back few days earlier from their trip to Egypt, where she escorted him to visit the old temple in the middle of the desert and assisted while he verbally collided with that woman, Zafina. She was shocked to know that the man was exactly aware of what was happening, that he knew that the ancient legend that her people had handed down for generations was exactly coming true as predicted. Nina wondered distractedly how trying to live constantly with evil voices inside the head aking you to do horrible things had to be. In the past she experienced that too, when the God of War Ogre took possession of her mind, urging her to kill the person who today had the task of protecting. Ironically it was him who saved her from the yoke of that monster. Never in her life had she felt so weak, even during the amnesia after cryogenic awakening: it had to be really terrible to live like that! Yet it was what he did day after day, and the more time went by, the more the situation got worse.

Jin stood there, sitting at his desk, his face resting on the palms of his hands and his eyes and lips were tightly closed. He was completely still and several times Nina was tempted to check if he was actually breathing, but she always remained sat on that huge armchair by the fire. She hated those situations with all of herself, they made her feel useless and powerless. As time went buy, in fact, she had developed a particular empathy towards his boss, so much that in those moments she felt almost a failure to not be able to protect him even from his inner demons. She and Jin, were so different in some things, yet so terribly similar in others: both had a difficult past, marked by the loss of the dearest person to them, both had to deal with a continuation of an anything but simple life, both had to suffer the betrayal of those they trusted. They came from two distant countries and even from two different decades, but their stories were similar: travied and without any happy ending at the horizon. They didn't live... They survived. It was a condition that they had both accepted for a long time. This is why the blonde felt so close to that guy, despite not trusting anyone and her professionalism and rigor at work were stainless.

Yet she still couldn't explain the conflicting feeling she felt along with empathy. Jin had revealed her his plan a short time before, telling her during their flight to Cairo why he had started that bloody war and the burden he was carrying since his birth. She couldn't help but fulfill his desire, understanding how unbearable it was to lead such a life and how eager his desire to put an end to it was. So why a part of herself seemed to disagree? Why did she hope that the vase full of hatred, death and despair never come to overflow, allowing the demon Azazel to take a material form and then be faced and destroyed together with the Devil's Gene that tore Jin's soul every day more and more ? How could she be so selfish? And why?

Tearing her apart from her thoughts as she watched the flames dance in the fireplace was a moan coming from his boss, which made her stood immediately on her feet. Like a thunderbolt, she rushed towards the desk, approaching the man who seemed now in the grip of a strong migraine.

"Jin? Jin? What's up?" she asked alarmed.

He didn't answer, his breath was accelerated, his eyes were tight as well as his jaw. As Nina started to approach him, a strong aura made her retreat a few steps. Incredulous she looked at him better and with horror she noticed that his teeth were becoming sharper, like vampire's and black marks were appearing on his forehead.

"N...Nina ... G...go away ..." he gasped, his voice had become lower, almost guttural.

Go away? And where? She couldn't leave him like that! Suddenly she remembered his words during that long flight: _"It's inside my head, sometimes I can control it and keep it at bay, sometimes it's much harder, I feel it taking possession of me, and it's terrible. I've always been able to prevent him from taking over, but lately I feel him stronger and louder ... I don't know for how long I will be able to hold it, but I will put an end to all this! "_ Those words suddenly made sense, but the situation remained desperate. What if he lost control this time? Would he kill her? Would he destroy everything?

"RU...RUN AWAY, NINA!" he suddenly screamed, jumping on his feet and holding his head in his hands, shaking it desperately.

He was fighting with that demon he had inside and she didn't know what to do, but surely she couldn't stay there watching! Her task was to protect him, right? She didn't even realize that she went closer to him and now was hugging him thight. She mentally cursed herself for attempting such an approach, but at that moment she was definitely short of ideas and let her instinct guide her.

"Don't do it Jin! Don't give in! You are stronger than it, you are worth much more than it!" she screamed, resting her cheek against his back, squeezing him as hard as she could. "Don't let him take over. Please, don't!

It was all useless. Jin began to wriggle like a fury and scream, his breathing was more and more labored and as he grabbed the edges of the desk to look for stability, those were reduced in many small splinters that stuck in his hands. The situation was desperate, and soon the blonde realized that they wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. As she feared the trip to Egypt and the visit to the temple had increased the influence of Azazel in his mind, charging it with negative energy. She knew it, she had said it wasn't good idea to go there and at least she wouldn't have discovered all those horrible things that his boss was hiding. If only his mother had been there ...

Wait! A flash in Nina's thoughts appeared to her as an anchor, bringing her back to that plane trip, during that conversation.

 _"How did you live all these years without feeling such a force inside you, and how do you manage to tame that beast that lives inside you?" she asked curiously._

 _It was not in her nature to stick her nose in others' private affairs, but that story was unbelievable. Jin sighed and leaned his head against the small window, scanning the horizon covered with clouds._

 _"It was thanks to my mother, Jun. She grew me up on her own, and she was the only good thing I've ever had in my life." When I feel like going crazy, I cling to the memory of her embracing me ... It's the only real thing that made sense in all my life. "_

Of course! Perhaps that tiny revelation could have solved that critical situation. Jin now seemed to have reached the limit, and with horror the killer realized that not only claws were popping up on his hands, but on his back something was trying to come out, exactly at the height of the shoulder blades. She had to hurry, or it would have been too late!

"JIN, LISTEN TO ME ... DO NOT SURREND... DO NOT LET THAT MONSTER WIN! YOUR MOTHER JUN WOULDN'T LIKE TO SEE YOU THIS WAY!" shouted the blonde, straight in his ear. "DO IT FOR YOUR MOTHER ... DO IT FOR YOU ... DO IT FOR ME, PLEASE!"

Hearing those words made something snap into the boy's head and suddenly saw his beloved mother tighten him in her arms whispering that it would be all right. Nina's words made the miracle and after another intense tremor she felt his body relax. His hands returned to normal, just as the teeth and the black marks on his face had disappeared. Jin panted loudly, as if he had run for miles and miles, his forehead was beaded with cold sweat, as if he had just awakened from the worst nightmare... Well, that it was. They both remained still, Nina's cheek was still resting on his back and could feel very well the heartbeat accelerated to madness. She made it... She managed to calm him down! They were safe, for the moment.

Slowly the man opened his eyes and immediately noticed the arms wrapped around him. That embrace... In his mind he had seen Jun hugging him, that memory had always been his anchor in those dark moments, but today it seemed more realistic than ever. He knew that behind him there was his faithful bodyguard, the cold, detached woman he paid to protect him, but who had recently been seen under a different light. He couldn't even explain why, but the mere presence of the blonde, having her consistently by his side had become necessary for him. Many people had tried to kill him in the most banal ways, but Nina had always crushed in the bud every pathetic attempt to harm his safety. However tonight was the first time she really saved his life. He turned slowly into that embrace and found himself facing his bodyguard: he saw clearly in those crystalline, usually impassive eyes, both relief and a shadow of fear. If she hadn't been there, what would have happened? He didn't even want to think about it!

"Nina ..."

"Jin ... are you okay?" she murmured, loosening her embrace, now visibly embarrassed.

She had always been reluctant to physical contact and when she realized she was still clutching her boss, she suddenly felt stupid. However, she didn't have time to add anything else, cause it was then the turn of the man to wrap his mighty arms around her waist. She felt the blush rising even more on her cheeks when Jin hid his face between the hollow of her neck and shoulder, holding her head with one hand; he did not even realize she had clung to those strong shoulders.

"Nina... Oh, Nina... I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry, please... Please, forgive me!" Jin whispered, tightening her even more to himself.

"Jin ..." she stammered, uncertain.

When he heard her tone of voice, the man immediately broke the contact and stepped back, feeling a deep sense of shame and hatred towards himself. He was amazed that she was still there and hadn't left him on the ground agonizing, after beating him savagely.

"I didn't want to... I'm sorry... If you want to go, I swear I don't..."

"Jin, I'm not going anywhere." she replied firmly, taking his hands and forcing him to look her in the eyes.

There was still a hint of fright in those clear irises, but the look was firm and determined, as usual.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm fine... Only thanks to you, my God, if I think I could..."

"Don't do it! I'm here, nothing happened, it's all over now!" she reassured him.

There was a touch of sweetness in that authoritative voice that amazed him deeply. Neither of them had realized how close they actually were: Jin had simply to bow his head to find his forehead resting on his faithful bodyguard's.

"You saved my life ..."whispered, reaching out to touch her cheek. "How can I ever thank you?"

"You don't have to! It's my job, I'm your bodyguard after all, right?" she answered quietly, letting that big hand cupping her face.

"No ...You're much, much more ..." Jin concluded, before resting his lips on hers.

That was the first kiss between the devil and the murderer.

Nina woke up in cold sweat. The room was dark and smelled of dust and at first she didn't even remember where she was. Looking around, she realized that she was in her old apartment, she had rented when she moved to Tokyo one year before, to complete a series of murders that she had been commissioned. Shortly thereafter she was hired by the Mishima Zaibatsu, and she moved there, no longer going back to that little house. She didn't even remember how she managed to get there a few hours before, she was still wearing his worn-out black leather suit, and the blood that had gushed from the many cuts got stuck. Sighing, she pulled herself up from the bed and decided to take a shower to try to clean herself up from that dirt. By turning, her ribs protested loudly, but she ignored the pain as she used to do.

Before heading to the bathroom, however, she threw his eyes to the window she had forced to enter and noticed that it was dawn: the horizon was becoming red and the first rays of sunlight cut through the darkness. She remained for a second staring at the view,when her attention was caught by a cloud of unusual shape, which reminded a large pair of black wings. She sighed heavily, and unconsciously brought her fingers to her lips. That dream about her not too far past had been deleterious for her heart, but again she tried to remind herself that that would have been the dawn of a new day. Yet she would have given anything to be awaken by those demonic lips as she was used to during the last months spent together...

Well hello, here I am again! I'm sorry but my days are pretty prettu busy due to my work schedule. So, what about this chapter? Yes, in this story there will be many flashbacks: it's a stylistic choice that I love and that I consider necessary for the narration (to be read as: otherwise I should start telling my version from Tekken 6 and I haven't all that fantasy :P) to better understand present events, decisions and consequences. Let's say that as a first memory we start immediately with an intense one, but this is a scene that I adored to figure out. Like Nina despite the desperate situation has kept calm, facing the risks of the unknown and at the same time has given free way to her most irrational part and how Jin collapses under the weight of his curse and surrenders to the fact that his bodyguard has become indispensable for him. Also I have always wondered how Jin managed for years not to notice the Devil's Gene and to live peacefully and Jun Kazama was the only sensible answer that I came up with. Obviously her loss by the hands of Ogre (who later will subdue Nina herself, thus making him further increase his sense of protection towards her) and following the betrayal by Heihachi were all factors that have awakened the beast that was sleeping inside him. In fact, unlike Kazuya who voluntarily sold himself to the devil to save himself after falling off the cliff, Jin was raised by a woman who had the purest heart and soul, so I think her influence was crucial. With all that said, I'll you to the next chapter! Bye!


	5. Precious

"Was that your plan all along? To draw the enemy over there and blow it up?"

"We have Jin, which i believe mean everything worked out beautifully!" replied the man, removing a lock of silver hair from his face. "Don't worry! The Mishima Zaibatsu will pay for the damage...With interest."

The head of the Tekken Force rebels couldn't help but grin as he heard those words. Lee Chaolan was never too scrupulous when it came to achieving a goal, still remaining fair, unlike his adoptive father and stepbrother. Growing up among the Mishimas made him understand how exactly he never wanted to become: he had always been ambitious, but he had never had thirsty for power. Exactly like him: Heihachi's blood flowed in his own veins, but since he had never known him and had grown up without that unhealthy presence in his life, he had become a loyal and courageous man with a strong sense of justice.

Lars Alexandersson watched his soldiers as they hurried to bring Jin's defenseless body into the structure. In all that mess he didn't move a millimeter, the only evidence of his presence in the living world was the barely perceptible breath. The clash with Azazel one month earlier had greatly weakened him: he had been unconscious in the desert for who knows how long, until Raven's soldiers had been able to track him down. But even there, the Devil's Gene, which was supposed to be eradicated, was still in full possession of the young man's body and managed to rout the troop without any difficulty. That exploit of energy, however, made Jin easily traceable, but it must have cost him a lot: the last time the Swede had seen him awake was when he saved him in the market in that remote village in the Middle East. Since then he hadn't woken up. Who knows if he was just asleep in a restful sleep and when he woke up he would come back worse and ruthless than ever? Lars swallowed at that thought: unfortunately it wasn't such an improbable option.

At the moment, however, he was limiting himself to lye on that hospital bed, placed in a room that was a mixture between a laboratory and a hospitalization room. Large monitors showed his weak but stable vital parameters and functions. A thick straitjacket had been stuck on him to preventive purpose, to avoid sudden reactions once awake. Lee sat in front of a giant computer and controlled all the data that the machines were sending and processing.

"How is he doing?" Lars asked, approaching the owner of the Violet System.

"Not very well, he's not life-threatening, but he does not even seem to recover... It almost seems like a lethargy!" Lee replied, leaning his chin on his fists as he studied the screen.

"When will he wake up?" Alisa asked, looking back at the round of data, impressing them in her cybernetic mind as well.

"Who knows, most probably not soon, he's still too weak, but we can't even imagine what's wrong in that mind, we don't have to lose sight of him not even for a second."

The cyborg nodded and turned his gaze to her friend. He moved back towards the sleeping figure lying and tied on that bed and submerged by cables and electrodes. He suffocated a bitter laugh at the sight of who was in fact his nephew, despite being only few years younger. Once he was at his service and willing to execute every order he gave, but over time he began to wonder what it would really have brought to lead such a war. Vain had been all the attempts to dissuade him, even his bodyguard didn't want to hear his valid reasons. The conflict had begun and the leader of Zaibatsu was firmly convinced to carry it forward. All that destruction ... But at what price? Was there really no other way to destroy Azazel without spilling all that blood and cutting off thousands of innocent lives? Despite Jin's intentions were good, he had nevertheless committed unforgiven actions. Now it would have been too easy to murder him, probably it would have succeeded with only a single well-aimed blow. But he couldn't: despite the hatred and resentment he felt towards his relative he was aware of the fact that only Jin would be able to fix the disaster he himself had unleashed. He clenched his fists and breathed deeply trying to calm down.

"Something wrong?" Alisa asked, looking at his tense body and his thoughtful expression.

"No, don't worry... Did you get damaged?"

"That Williams was really such a hard bone, the grenade she threw me damaged some of my circuits, as well as her blows, but Lee will put me back in shape as soon as he finishes stabilizing Mr. Kazama." she replied cheerfully, with her usual warm smile.

"Better like that." sighed Lars, smiling in turn. "Come on, let's go... We both need to rest!"

"Roger!" Alisa answered, heading for the door. He did the same, but before leaving he turned to take a last look at the boy.

"This war must definitely end." As for you, Jin, Im going to need you for something... Looks like we have to delay the finale for the time being.

She had again fallen into immobility. She was lying on the bed, watching the ceiling without even really seeing it. Since when did she become so lazy and uninvolved? Perhaps it was the effect of the small dose of morphine that she injected herself to relieve the ribs pain: going to the hospital was certainly not a luxury that she could afford.

"I'm getting up now..." she mumbled to herself, for what was supposed to be the tenth time.

She would get up, and then? What would she have done? Cleaned the house? Cooked? Laundry? Please ... The situation had become so unbearable that she hurled himself up, cursing herself later by the sharp pain in her chest that she felt soon after. She began to wander around the apartment, opening the windows to let in some fresh air and checking that everything was in order: everything was exactly as she had left it, the clothes were neatly stored in the closet and the supply was almost empty. But at the moment she wasn't hungry. She sat back on the bed, studying her clothes and looking for something to wear... Just to remember how to live and to take off that towel that was still on since the morning. There wasn't much choice and she soon remembered that most of all her belongings were still in her apartment at Mishima Zaibatsu: all the clothes, shoes, expensive and signed underwear had remained there, along with her bike and her black Lamborghini. She snorted pissed at the thought of having lost all that stuff; she really wasn't a material person, but by then she had grown used to living in luxury. However, for a moment she felt her heart heavy when she realized that she no longer had that necklace of white gold and diamonds with her. A jewel of several thousand yen of worth, of great economic value, but above all emotional. Involuntarily her mind recalled the moment she received that very expensive gift...

 _"And that's pretty much it!" concluded the blonde, crossing her arms._

 _"Very well, good job, Nina! But I think I've told you not to go alone and accept protection, just to avoid you to come back completely bruised!"_

 _Nina snorted. Jin was too protective towards her, he seemed not to understand that bruises and scratches were part of the work and that she had suffered much worse damages in the past._

 _"And, correct me if I'm wrong, it seemed to me to have told you over and over again that I would have made it very well alone, in fact here I am." she replied with a cheeky smile._

 _The leader of Mishima Zaibatsu sighed and decided to give up. He was the CEO of all that empire and the most feared man in the world, but he soon learned that arguing with his bodyguard was a total waste of time. Indeed he had found someone more stubborn than him._

 _"Very well! Now, and please do it, go and get yourself checked by the doctors on the 27th floor, I've already warned them."_

 _"You worry too much, boss! I have hard skin!" scolded the blonde, but this time she decided not to contest any further._

 _She still was was one of his employees after all._

 _"I really care about the safety of my bodyguard, if you will allow me to, Miss Williams, I wouldn't want to miss her precious service." Jin said, settling down on the leather chair._

 _"Ah, sure! Glad that my service is considered precious." Nina replied, accentuating the word "service"._

 _She agreed that it was her job, but she couldn't bear to be treated as an object. Jin barely restrained a laugh as he saw his bodyguard's expression but decided to stop with that little theater and that it was finally time to reward her for her help._

 _"Talking about valuable things..." he said, sticking his arm into the desk drawer, from which he took out a rectangular blue velvet box, then stood up and headed towards the woman. "I would say this is the minimum for the excellent work you are doing for me." concluded, handing it to her._

 _Nina stood still for a moment, trying to understand what was happening._

 _"What is that?" she asked, taking the package from his hands._

 _"I would say that you should open it to find out!"_

 _She gave him a death glare at his sarcasm but as she opened the box her eyes were captured by the intense glow that it contained. Her eyes studied every single detail of that magnificent necklace in white gold, to which were hung five drop shaped pendants set with diamonds. It had to be worth at least a fortune. What did it mean?_

 _"Jin... What...?" she babbled, stunned by that incredible gift._

 _"Nothing special! I just think it's a beautiful jewel, of great value and very, very precious, just like you!" he answered, securing the necklace around his neck._

 _Nina was speechless, hearing that phrase. So he considered her beautiful, valuable and precious? Oh God, no, she couldn't blush like a teenager, not in front of her boss!_

 _"I... I don't know what to say..." she murmured, observing her reflection in the near-by mirror._

 _It looked enchanting on her! Behind her appeared the Jin's figure, who merely smiled as he placed his hands on her shoulders._

 _"You don't have to say anything, and now go to the infirmary!" He concluded._

 _For the first time Nina Williams executed his order without a word._

She shook her head at the memory, while the grip on her heart became more and more painful. She had to regain that necklace at any cost. Once again, however, she realized the position she was in and above all that she had to start a new life and procrastinate wouldn't have led to anything. Sighing, she stood up and got the laptop from the other room. Maybe she should have moved to another country? What was holding her there now? As the PC screen lit up, a little window on the desktop warned an immense amount of emails to read. Damn it, it had to be all spam, she surely didn't leave her e-mail address around. However as she opened the box she noticed an email dated only three days earlier from a certain Mr. Tanaka. The object was "urgent request". Intrigued, the blonde opened the letter and read the text briefly.

"Dear Mrs. Williams,

Your reputation as an infallible murderer has come to our ears, so we are here to ask you kindly about your help ... "

Nina re-read the content three times. Another murder uh? Well... Wasn't it a way to start over, anyway?

Hi everyone! Sorry for the long waiting between an update and another, but my work schedule is killer and vacations are an uthopia. Seems like the silent assassin has found a new job to keep herself busy with...A good occasion to start again, uh? What will it led to her? You'll find out soon! Anyway, I think you all got how much I like to insert flashbacks, so I loved to figure out that was Jin who gave her the necklace she wears in Tekken 6's outfit and in the scenario campaign as well! Another proof I liked to tell of how much he cared about her. Instead the frst part of the chapter is focused on Tekken 7'scene after Nina failed to capture Jin. She might be the main character of this story, but she's not the only one, for sure ;) Hope you liked it and you keep reading this story, even if it takes me forever to update it. See you!


	6. Duty

She hated delays, it was something she really couldn't tolerate. She considered them as a major lack of respect, as well as an immense waste of time. Not that she had anything better to do, but that trickle still made her furious.

"Keep calm!" she thought, tapping her nails nervously on the table's surface. She absently threw her eyes out of the window of that gloomy bar where she was waiting for the elusive Mr. Tanaka.

Nina was pretty sure that in that place and especially in that district forgotten even by God wouldn't have met any knowledge, however she hated exposing herself to the outside world more than necessary: she was still a murderer wanted by several people and now she was on the black list of the G Corporation and in all likelihood on Mishima Zaibatsu's too. She doubted strongly that Heihachi missed and needed her, but surely if they had to meet again, it wouldn't end up well for her. If _he_ only knew... Who knows if _he_ was doing well, if _he_ had awakened yet? Seeing _him_ so vulnerable had hurt her very much, she wasn't used to such an image. _He_ was strong and contemptuous of every danger and above all, _he_ would never ever allow someone to hurt her, even though she was his bodyguard.

She sighed impatiently, waiting for his new employer. After a brief exchange of e-mails and an even shorter phone call, they had agreed to meet in that place and discuss the plan. Yet the gentleman was making her wait and now the delay was over fifteen minutes. She hoped strongly that it was not a joke, it would piss her off and not even a little. Fortunately, few minutes later, a man dressed in an overly elegant way for such a place, entered the tavern. It didn't take long to locate her and as he saw her, he approached her table with a huge smile. He wore an elegant suit jacket in smoke-gray trousers and a red satin tie, resting on a pearly white shirt. He had a sort of briefcase with him and a smile that was too dazzling to be a criminal's. Yet appearance deceives.

"Miss Williams! Enchanted!" he began, extending his hand. "You must forgive me for the inconvenient delay, but unfortunately I was held back in spite of myself."

Nina looked at him from the top to bottom, but despite of everything she returned the handshake.

"My pleasure, so what is it?"

"Ah, right to the point so uh? I knew I had made the right choice, but you will forgive me again if I order a drink first? Would you like something too, ma'am?"

"No thanks!" she replied, dryly.

"As you wish... Waiter? A green tea, please!" he ordered, before turning his attention to the woman seated in front of him. "Very well, as I said before, I'm the best _wedding planner_ in Tokyo..."

Nina mentally reviewed all the coded words that served as a cover to discuss the matter in a public place. She had to admit that to be a big head of the Yakuza, Mr. Tanaka played the role very well.

"... And for your _special day_ when you will make your greatest dream come true, I want to offer you the best!" he continued extracting a series of folders of various colors from the briefcase. "Starting from the location, given the particular tastes of his husband to be, a lover of gothic and stained glass, I would suggest this Orthodox church that I would dare to say is right for you!

He opened the red folder and took out a series of photos of the aforementioned church, a very beautiful and particular building, with marble everywhere, from floors to stairways. She immediately realised that this would be the crime scene, so she took vision of all the possible escape routes present.

"As far as the dress is concerned, oh, Miss Williams, I have the right outfit for you, God would punish me if I'm wrong!" he continued, pulling out a series of paper models of a wedding dress.

It was a simple white one, smooth on the upper body, with a wide frappe to separate the piece above from the wide skirt. The lower part, also smooth, had a deep split on the left side. To complete the outfit, there were a couple of very long gloves of white silk, one adorned with a rose with a bow and a veil of tulle that went all the way down to the middle of the back.

"As you can see, _silk and satin_ are the finest choice. The split on the left side of the leg is still discreet and not vulgar, guaranteeing maximum freedom of movement during your _first dance_ together."

Silk stood for the Magnum 44 that she would have hidden in the garter, while the satin were the smoke that would cover her escape. Perhaps an extra cutting weapon wouldn't "hurt". Needless to say that the split was really needed as an easy access to weapons and no hindrance during the escape.

"I'd add a little _organd_ ..." Nina asserted, looking at the man straight in the eye.

A benevolent smile was painted on his face, understanding the allusion to the switchblade knife.

"You have such a good taste, Miss Williams!"

They both grinned, but were interrupted by the waiter who served them tea.

"Many thanks, my dear son!" he chirped, leaving the young man a generous tip, which immediately bowed his head in sign of respect. "Returning to us, I would say that we are at good point, only the most important part is missing, that is the consort, what a lucky man!" He grinned.

Nina pricked up her ears and prepared to find out who she was supposed to kill.

"Aaaaah, Mr. Liev Morozov, such a man rich in both money and class and spirit, a very good choice from you, I am sure you will be a very good wife!"

The blonde looked at the picture that was put before her eyes: it was a man, unmistakably Russian, tall and pale as a rag. The hair was probably raven, but the smoke-gray streaks had by now assumed the dominant coloring, and made pandant with the eyes, of just a few lighter shades. He was a Russian magnate who had made a fortune with gas supplies all over Europe and from what Nina had known he had tried to expand his business in the East, careless of stepping on the Japanese mafia. Apparently Morozov, whose weak point were women, was again looking for a wife. He had 6 marriages behind him and several lovers, but for him they were just toys and now he was looking for the seventh. A slimy man, there was nothing else to say.

"Yeah... I'm really lucky to become the future Ms. Morozov." Nina asserted, with a sadistic smile.

That Russian had his days numbered.

"Wonderful, Miss Williams, wonderful, don't worry, you'll see that in a week's time everything will be ready for the _big day_ , not for nothing, we're the best in the city because we know how to organize a _wedding_ with style even in such a short time. It will be... a success! " concluded while collecting all the sheets and putting them in their respective folders.

"Absolutely!" concluded the murderer, sensing that the meeting had come to an end.

Both stood up and headed for the exit.

"I wish you all the best, Mrs. We will meet again in exactly seven days, at 1:00 pm at the tailor's shop, so we can dress you up and prepare you as best as they can!" Tanaka concluded, performing a gallant bow, followed by a kiss on her pale hand. "I wish you a wonderful day, Miss Williams!"

"Same..." Nina grinned, before taking the opposite direction and returning home.

So this was her new task: to pretend to be the future bride of a Russian magnate, who married women without even knowing them and who was putting sticks in the wheels at the Yakuza. Normal administration, nothing complicated, nor unusual. She knew how to treat both that kind of employer and his future husband...

Now, that's the mysterious work that Nina is going to perform. In Tekken 7 they say that when she parted way with Mishima Zaibatsu her duty was to infiltrate into a mafia wedding, posing as the bride, and during the cerimony Nina managed to take out all of her targets during a firefight, that attracted the Tekken Force. However hings here will develop differently, but you'll understand why later on. As I already said, I'm trying to be as coherent as possible to the original game's plot, but I'm also adding my version, since Harada will never, ever make something similar to what I'd like to see :P Plus, in the next chapter there will be new appereances...Who knows what will happen? See you!


	7. The Seventh Bride

The night before her mission was strangely tormented: Nina was restless and couldn't explain why: it wasn't the first time that she was assigned to that type of tasks, it would have been an easy one, she would have accomplished it and the Yakuza would have guaranteed her a sufficient amount of money to live nicely for a year away without doing anything in the meantime. Not that she really needed it... After all, working for Mishima Zaibatsu made her earn a sum of money to live like a queen for the rest of her days. So why couldn't she sleep? She kept tossing herself in the bed like a tormented soul, without being able to find a comfortable position; she continued to cover herself because she was cold and to throw the sheets away soon after because she was hot, the pillow went from being too soft to too hard within minutes.

"Bloody hell, Nina, sleep! What's wrong with you?" hissed in the dark to herself.

Might the task be the easiest ever, she couldn't afford to go unprepared: she had studied the plan in great detail, but it wasn't a good reason not to concentrate and take everything lightly: the contingencies were always around the corner. Also she had to impersonate a bride, so she certainly couldn't show up at the altar with dark circles! She stopped for a moment and looked at the alarm clock next to her: it was 2:52 am. She then imposed herself to sleep, at the cost of drinking liters of chamomile. She covered herself and stood still, hoping that Morpheus had mercy on her. But just as she was about to fall asleep a sudden gag of vomit turned her stomach, forcing her to jump up and run to the bathroom. Vain were her efforts to hold supper, and she poured everything into the toilet several times; coughing and swearing she tried to recover and reach the sink to rinse her face with cold water and brush her teeth. Since when did the salmon disgusted her like that? Was she really so nervous at the point of feeling nauseous? She studied her reflection in the mirror and noticed that she was even paler than usual: she absolutely needed to rest. Wearily she dragged herself back to her room, throwing herself ungraciously on the bed and sinking her face into the pillow; if anything the nausea had tried her enough to make her finally fall asleep ...

A few blocks away, a tall, muscular blond boy was emptying his second mug of beer with the company of his two friends. He was sitting between what looked like the classic American biker, dressed in a leather jacket, pants and boots, and what seemed a character straight outta a kung fu themed movie. The trio had decided to go to a bar to watch a boxing match broadcast almost illegally on television. Now every program was interrupted at least twice every half a hour to transmit the latest bloody news on the ongoing conflict. The blond seemed to be the most interested of all in the match, the light blue eyes followed every single movement of the two boxers, imagining himself in their place. Since that damned war had begun the young man had found himself virtually unemployed, with a risen career struck. It seemed like there was no more space for boxing in the world, and he deeply envied those boxers who were giving their best. He could foresee every move of theirs and already had in mind the relative counterattack. He would have given anything to find himself to start fighting again.

"Oh, that Maxwell is really strong! It's the third hook that springs in his face!" Paul Phoenix noted, between a peanut and a handful of potato chips.

"He has a great rind, I think he's going to win!" Marshall Law agreed, nodding vigorously.

"He will never win!" the third retorted dryly, crossing his arms.

"The hell are you saying, don't you see he's on advantage?" the American replied with full mouth.

"I'm saying that he pulls hooks like there's no tomorrow, but his technique is completely wrong, so the damage is minimal, his strong point is the speed with which he dodges the blows, but as soon as Gordon hits him he will surely go KO... And these would be professionals? "

"Come on Steve, they're no fools!" Law answered, pointing at the screen with his finger. "Here, look what a blow that pulled him!"

"Lame, Gordon will win!" concluded the blond, remaining motionless.

His hands were wary, that sport was too important for him. Damn Mishima Zaibatsu ...

"No way! If Maxwell wins, you'll offer me another beer!"challenged Paul.

"Yes, me too!" Law added.

Steve shook his head. He knew he was right and in fact within ten minutes the situation had reversed, ending with the overwhelming victory of Gordon.

"Nooo, damn! He could have made it!"

"Yeah, he got screwed... Well, do you offer me a beer anyway, Steve?"

"I think you've already drunk enough for tonight, Paul, it's very late, it's time for me to go!" the blond replied, getting up and putting his jacket on.

"It's just three o'clock, how come you go to bed so early, the night is still young!" Law said, waving to the waiter to bring him more sake.

"You know, I've already told you a hundred times, Tomorrow I have to attend the wedding of that Russian, Morozov. If he really keeps his promise, I'll soon be able to take part in the Russian boxing championship." Steve explained, obviously. "If I'm lucky in a week I'll be on the ring again! He said he was very impressed by my skills, I hope I will not disappoint him!"

"Oh yeah... True, Moroskof's wedding... Sure! Well, oh, take a picture of the bride if she's hot, ok?"

Steve rolled his eyes at that nasty request. Paul waill always be Paul.

"Sure, sure... Goodnight guys!"

"Night, boy! Maybe even take a look to the guests, you never know that there are some kind ladies for your friends as well!" laughed Phoenix, before turning over and order another mug.

Steve hurried out of that place and finally could breathe some fresh air: the bar was nothing short of suffocating. He walked with his hands in his pockets to the small motel where he spent the nights, proceeding head down, but keeping his ears wide open. It would have looked like a almost 1.90 m wardrobe full of muscles, but it was always safe to be alert in that city, with the times that ran. He hoped with all of himself that Morozov's offer turned out to be valid and that he could finally resume doing what he loved most.

He had stumbled across the Russian almost by accident and was deeply surprised to be recognized by a man of such importance. He prayed to be good enough and not to disappoint him. Suddenly he was brutally torn from his thoughts by a deafening whistling and hid quickly in the adjacent alley. He rolled his eyes and saw the Mishima Zaibatsu's fighters darting through the darkness, destroying the silence. Steve couldn't help but grind his teeth at the sight of those military planes... Who knows where they were headed? Who knows how much destruction would they sow?

The morning came way too soon. After the troubled night she had spent, she hoped she could sleep a little longer, but that damned alarm clock and the sun's rays filtering through the curtains had allied to make her wake up in a bad mood. She slowly got out of bed and turned off the damn thing with a slap. The clock marked 8 am: until a month and a half ago she would have been operative for half an hour for that hour, and yet that morning she couldn't wake up. She stretched lazily, suffocating a yawn and tilted her head sideways a couple of times to awaken the muscles of her neck. Slowly she pulled herself up, but she was soon seized by a dizziness that forced her to sit back, followed by another pang in the stomach with immediate consequences.

"Oh no, no, no, not aga..." She didn't even have the time to finish the sentence that she had to run back to the bathroom, with a hand on her mouth to hold back the gassed.

She no longer had touched food and puking the gastric juices was a horrible and disgusting way to start the day. Had she got a gastrointestinal virus? Maybe the salmon was rotten? In any case, today she just couldn't afford the luxury of being sick, she had a task to complete.

She dragged herself into the room and put on an old gray suit. The feeling of nausea gave her no relief, so she decided to get distracted by training a little before breakfast. Free body workout couldn't do much, so she did a series of exercises to improve flexibility and endurance. How much she was missing training in that dojo where she could have everything, from weights and tools, to katanas and weapons of any kind. She grunted, continuing her one hand push-ups, but the strength was literally vanishing. There was definitely something wrong. She decided to give up with her physical activity and have a cup of hot tea, with some biscuits , hoping that they would fix her stomach. After she would have had a nice shower and then she would start preparing for her mission. However, that sense of restlessness and illness still did not abandon her and that wasn't a good omen...

At 13:00 sharp Nina entered the door of the tailor's shop, being greeted by a group of seamstresses who immediately bowed their heads in sign of respect and by none other than Mr. Tanaka himself, dressed in cobalt blue for the occasion.

"Miss Williams, my dear... Come, come... The big day is finally here!" he exclaimed, smiling.

If Nina herself hadn't been involved in that project, maybe she would have believed that farce. She hoped that all this would end quickly.

"If you want to follow me in the dressing room, I'll help you dress her up, after which there will be makeup artists and hairdressers waiting for you, even if I have to say that the raw material is already stunning.

Tanaka invited her to follow him into the next room, closing the door behind her. Nina didn't exactly agree to undress in the presence of the man, but unfortunately for work she had found herself doing worse. She began to undress, remaining in underwear, while the man hastened to remove the dress from the bag in which it was placed.

"I hope you will forgive me if I tell you that you have a body that seems to have been sculpted by angels, but there are a couple of last things you should know before you start.

"I'm listening." Nina replied, raising her arms upward to allow Tanaka to fasten the zipper of the dress, placed on her right side.

"Morozov is known to marry women without even knowing them, however he specifically asked a Caucasian female in her twenties, so I would say that you're more than suitable to meet this request. He has no idea of your appearance, he only knows your name, which is Ludmilla Padlova, do not forget it! "

"I won't! Anything else?" she asked as the lacing of a pair of sumptuous silver-heeled shoes was secured to her ankle.

"Yes. You will have to do it soon after the oath, when the priest will declare you husband and would then blow the organ of the church up and it will be there when you will have to reach the goal. You choose the way you prefer. That's it."

Nina mentally reviewed what she had been told and nodded. It was all pretty simple.

"And now, my dear, if you want to follow me, it's time for makeup and hair ..."

An hour later she found herself on board of a luxurious Rolls Royce, heading for the Orthodox cathedral. She had no idea that such a place existed in Japan, she hadn't had the chance to be a tourist yet. She watched her reflection on the darkened glass of the car, studying every little detail of her image. The make-up was very light, just a veil of eyeliner, a lot of mascara to accentuate her already long eyelashes, giving her a fawn look, a veil of powder on her cheeks and a light layer of lip gloss. Tanaka was right: she didn't need any makeup, she was already beautiful without. Her hair was gathered in a low, side tail, which fell in soft waves on her right shoulder. Two golden locks had been left free from the hairstyle and now they gently framed her face, giving her an almost angelic appearance. But it was the dress that made her more effect: she had never dreamed of getting married, even as a child. Wearing that white fabric made her feel strange, especially because she found herself thinking that maybe she would have liked to get married to the one she had discovered she was able to love. She sadly shook her head: it wasn't time to indulge on certain thoughts. In fact, shortly after the car stopped in front of the church: time had come. She made sure for the last time that the weapons that she hid under the skirt were well concealed by the fabric on her side and she adjusted the split of the skirt better. She was ready for action.

All the guests were already inside the cathedral and waited impatiently for the bride's arrival. Steve had decided to stay at the side back of the church; after all, he didn't know anyone. Liev Morozov had greeted him warmly, but then he went lost in small talk with all the guests and soon the boy realized how coward and rude he was. He swallowed the toad and in any case pretending not to care: he had a career to redeem and if he could bear a man who was glancing to other women even on his wedding day was the price to pay, well, he would do it a hundred times. To distract him was the sound of the organ that reproduced the famous wedding march: the bride had finally arrived. Everyone stood up leaning toward the entrance to better see the mysterious future wife of the tycoon. A tall, slim, wrapped in that simple white dress that made her shine with her own light woman entered. She walked slowly toward the nave, with the veil covering part of her face. Strangely, she looked quite familiar. Steve got goosebumps and didn't even know why, but that woman had something strange. The enigmatic bride finally reached his husband to be who hadn't taken his eyes off her for a moment. As he lifted the veil from her face, his eyes lit up, as if she were contemplating a priceless jewel.

"Ludmilla... Enchanting." he croaked, devouring her with his eyes.

Nina just smiled and accepted the hand that the man was offering her, before sitting down on the sofa in front of the altar. Sitting down, she turned her face to adjust the folds of her skirt and it was there when Steve could finally look at her face. Blood froze in his veins. It couldn't be, maybe he had hallucinations... He rubbed his eyelids and tried again to look at her. He stared in disbelief as his legs began to shake and his heart beat wildly. He would have recognized that face among millions of others. There was no doubt, it was her ...

Ludmilla, the bride... It was none other than Nina Williams... the woman who he had been looking for for months.

Hey there everyone, what's up? I know, it's been months since the last update, but they have been troublesome and busy for me. Honestly talking I've lost will and inspiration to write and that's a pity cause I still have everything planned in my mind, pages of notes and chapters schemes, they just need to be connected and written down. Well, who knows when will happen? Also, actually half of the story is already written, but in this case it also needs to be translated and it takes me A LOT of time and concentrations. Apart from that, I still hope that whoever reads this story likes it for the idea and how's written, even if they don't appreciate the pairing (bloody XiaoXJin, almost everyone still goes for it XD). That's pretty much it, if you have any questions just write them down in a review and I'll try to answer them asap. Thanks for the ones you've already left me, I truly appreciated 3 Bye!


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